I always say if you want a perfectly clean truck do it yourself. If you really cant do it yourself or dont know how to, try and find a really good detailer that only does one or two cars a day. stay away from those who do lots of cars in a day because they tend to rush everything. I have personally had my vehicle detailed at midas auto touch at ala moana because a friend recomended them, all I can is I will never go back, I asked if they clay bar and they said yes, but when I got it back I could clearly see tons of waterspots, which I later got off myself with my own clay-bar. there was still bug residue on my front bumper which I'd say is pathetic for a detailing shop.

i'll try and get the number for a professional detailer/ paint restorer I met who went to school for it, ill post his number IF I can find his card. he mostly works for the dealers but also does private.

2020 Detailing over by the airport. It's EXPENSIVE but they have done really good work on all the cars I've seen or they have immediately corrected any issue. They are usually fairly busy and they do a lot of work for the dealers down there but have always seemed to have no problem getting a vehicle in pretty quick. They also usually have specials on their services so be sure to ask about that.

2020 Detailing over by the airport. It's EXPENSIVE but they have done really good work on all the cars I've seen or they have immediately corrected any issue immediately. They are usually fairly busy and they do a lot of work for the dealers down there but have always seemed to have no problem getting a vehicle in pretty quick. They also usually have specials on their services so be sure to ask about that.

RainX works but you'll need to reapply often. I've waxed my windshield before (old car) but heard that some types of wax can mess up your wiper blades.

Waffle cloths work pretty well; I'm just too cheap to buy them. Just make sure whatever you use won't scratch the clear coat. I use The Absorber or the Water Sprite since I've had them since before I can remember. You can find either of them at Napa/WalMart/etc. Also use that California Water Blade to remove the majority of the water before final wiping. Need to make sure it's clean so you don't leave streaks/scratches everywhere.

heres my detail:
1. pressure wash entire underbody and bed of truck including wheel wells and engine bay/ floor mats, keeps it all looking brand new
2. waterspot removal on windows using "diamond magic" from citymill works better than anything else iv'e tried
3. wash one section of truck at a time then claybar the same section right after
4. once you've washed/clayed entire truck give it another quick wash to get all the clay residues off. dont forget to wash the door jams and inside the gas tank cover, most people forget these spots
5. wash rims (I have no chrome on my truck so I won't offer advice on that)
6. dry truck completely with cali car blade/microfibers and garden leaf blower to get water out of cracks
7. apply wax to small sections at a time and DO NOT LET IT GET ON ANYTHING PLASTIC like the tailgate handle,etc.. buff off with clean microfibers the key is to use a lot of cloth's, don't cheap out.
8. rain-x all windows. helps to keep the waterspot's from forming again. I reapply it every month and half or so. its a lot easier than waxing it.
9. I don't use any tire shine cuz it just makes the dirt stick after two days.
10. wipe down entire interior with warm water and nothing else, armor all and similar products actually make your dash crack after years of use, it says it's protecting it but actually its magnifying the sun just like sun tan oil

takes me about 6 hours and I do this every 2 months. In between details I give it a quick wash every week.

heres my detail:
1. pressure wash entire underbody and bed of truck including wheel wells and engine bay/ floor mats, keeps it all looking brand new
2. waterspot removal on windows using "diamond magic" from citymill works better than anything else iv'e tried
3. wash one section of truck at a time then claybar the same section right after
4. once you've washed/clayed entire truck give it another quick wash to get all the clay residues off. dont forget to wash the door jams and inside the gas tank cover, most people forget these spots
5. wash rims (I have no chrome on my truck so I won't offer advice on that)
6. dry truck completely with cali car blade/microfibers and garden leaf blower to get water out of cracks
7. apply wax to small sections at a time and DO NOT LET IT GET ON ANYTHING PLASTIC like the tailgate handle,etc.. buff off with clean microfibers the key is to use a lot of cloth's, don't cheap out.
8. rain-x all windows. helps to keep the waterspot's from forming again. I reapply it every month and half or so. its a lot easier than waxing it.
9. I don't use any tire shine cuz it just makes the dirt stick after two days.
10. wipe down entire interior with warm water and nothing else, armor all and similar products actually make your dash crack after years of use, it says it's protecting it but actually its magnifying the sun just like sun tan oil

takes me about 6 hours and I do this every 2 months. In between details I give it a quick wash every week.

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SO HELPFUL. THANK YOU!
Good idea with the leaf blower.
I'm clueless on the clay-bar. Care to elaborate?

SO HELPFUL. THANK YOU!
Good idea with the leaf blower.
I'm clueless on the clay-bar. Care to elaborate?

Once again, Thank you!

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For me it's more of a feel with the right amount of lube for the bar to slide and still grab all the crap that's settled on the paint, hard to describe. This is a pretty good demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI They sell the full kits at most autoparts stores or if you want to get fancy a couple store around the island sell clay magic, pricey but it does a good job. There's also a ton of info in the detailing section on it.

For me it's more of a feel with the right amount of lube for the bar to slide and still grab all the crap that's settled on the paint, hard to describe. This is a pretty good demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI They sell the full kits at most autoparts stores or if you want to get fancy a couple store around the island sell clay magic, pricey but it does a good job. There's also a ton of info in the detailing section on it.

Click to expand...

GREAT VIDEO!
So basically I have to use my hand to feel around my Taco to see if I even need to clay bar it?
Anything rough, or not "glassy" feeling will need to be clay barred, BEFORE I even do waxing?
Sounds like a lot of work. A good work out huh?
Do most detailing shops do this for you if you ask, then pay for it?
How often should you clay bar? Before every time you want to wax?
Thanks for the video. I'm new to this whole detailing thing! Ha ha ha!
Aloha!